…he was a drug addict who had relapsed twice

THE Preliminary Inquiry into the unlawful killing of 34-year-old Marlon Fredericks continued on Wednesday with the testimony of his mother Claudette Fredericks.
Charged for manslaughter is Gregory Bascom, a 50- year-old lance corporal attached to the City Constabulary. Bascom is accused of unlawfully killing Fredericks on January 14 at Regent Road, Bourda, Georgetown.

He is not required to plead to the indictable charge and is currently out on $800,000 bail.
The matter is being conducted by Senior Magistrate Leron Daly with evidence being led by Prosecutor, Assistant Superintendent Vishnu Hunt. The matter has been adjourned until July 25.

Fredericks of Tiger Bay, Georgetown, was apprehended by law-enforcement officers from the City Constabulary for a number of simple larceny cases, during which he was beaten.
Fredericks was kept in custody at the entity’s Bourda Outpost and it is alleged that he attempted to flee custody and was shot as a result. His mother Claudette Fredericks had gone to visit him when she witnessed the shooting.

A post-mortem revealed that the cause of death was a result of complications to his lower back, due to a gunshot wound.

Eyewitnesses said his death could have been avoided, since he was in a weakened state and could not have run away; hence, apprehending him should have been an easy task for the lance corporal.

Claudette Fredericks had told the media that her son was a drug addict who had relapsed twice following stints at a rehabilitation facility.

She said that seeing her son being brutally beaten while surrendering to the police had been one of the most traumatic moments of her life.